https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/welcome-to-the-lyceum--5583610enSociety & CultureCopyright The Lyceum Movementhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/773d134d4314ce8b80bcc2c5b3a0f1d3.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/welcome-to-the-lyceum--5583610Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:17:51 +0000The Lyceum MovementThe Lyceum Movementlyceummovement@gmail.comThe Lyceum Podcast is a production of the Lyceum Movement, a network of community learning centers, where the city comes to think about art, history, philosophy, government, and the enduring questions of human life.false2ee74d79-7e66-5539-a934-713e2ad66d78episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ai-and-human-dignity-with-philosopher-ali-hasan--74607279
-Should AI change the way we think about ourselves and our worth as human beings?
-Can AI be used to make moral decisions?
-Is there a place for challenge and suffering in a full human life?
-What do we lose if we automate too much away?

Listen in as we explore these and other fascinatiing questions.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74607279Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:15:19 +0000The Lyceum MovementDr. Ali Hasan, professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa sat down with us at Tallgrass: The Des Moines Festival of Ideas to discuss the ethics of AI. -Should AI change the way we think about ourselves and our worth as human beings? -Can AI be...
-Should AI change the way we think about ourselves and our worth as human beings?
-Can AI be used to make moral decisions?
-Is there a place for challenge and suffering in a full human life?
-What do we lose if we automate too much away?

Listen in as we explore these and other fascinatiing questions.]]>3195ai,ethics,morality,philosophy,technologyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-12-author-neil-king-on-why-you-should-walk-out-your-front-door--54031250
This is what Neil King did. Leaving his front door in Washington, DC, he set out to walk all the way to New York. It was 2021 and the former Wall Street Journal editor had seen a Pandemic, a capital insurrection at his backdoor, a battle with throat cancer, and the loss of his brother. His project, to detach from daily life and simply take the time to notice everything he could, to pay attention patiently to the people, history, and nature he saw along the way. He hoped that this act of slowly paying attention would help him get a sense of where he was at in life and where we were at, as a country.

The result is the very rewarding book, American Ramble. Written in the great tradition of American road stores, from Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman to Bill Bryson.

Prior to writing this book, Neil King was the Global Economics Editor for the Wall Street Journal, and spent years reporting in America and Europe on politics, terrorism, security, and more. I really enjoyed this conversation, full of the insights and stories gleaned from Neil's walk, and I think you will too.
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54031250Mon, 29 May 2023 13:51:39 +0000The Lyceum MovementThink of your morning commute, or a trip you take all the time by car or bus. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to walk it? What it would it be like to slow down to the speed of human legs and notice all of the people, plants, and...
This is what Neil King did. Leaving his front door in Washington, DC, he set out to walk all the way to New York. It was 2021 and the former Wall Street Journal editor had seen a Pandemic, a capital insurrection at his backdoor, a battle with throat cancer, and the loss of his brother. His project, to detach from daily life and simply take the time to notice everything he could, to pay attention patiently to the people, history, and nature he saw along the way. He hoped that this act of slowly paying attention would help him get a sense of where he was at in life and where we were at, as a country.

The result is the very rewarding book, American Ramble. Written in the great tradition of American road stores, from Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman to Bill Bryson.

Prior to writing this book, Neil King was the Global Economics Editor for the Wall Street Journal, and spent years reporting in America and Europe on politics, terrorism, security, and more. I really enjoyed this conversation, full of the insights and stories gleaned from Neil's walk, and I think you will too.
]]>2542america,culture,history,lyceum,nature,outdoors,philosophy,society,walkingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-11-why-democracy-with-shadi-hamid--53495349
What do we do when democracy delivers outcomes we don't like? How do we live in a country with so many who deeply disagree with our worldview? These are questions citizens of modern democracies need to ask themselves.

To help us think through them, we're joined this week by Shadi Hamid, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller Seminary, and contributing writer for the Atlantic Monthly. His new book The Problem of Democracy asks what we should do when democracy produces bad outcomes. Is democracy good because of its results, or for its own sake?

Special thanks to Ethan Beacom for composing our theme music and editing this episode.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53495349Mon, 10 Apr 2023 19:27:19 +0000The Lyceum MovementAbout a hundred years ago, Americans were gathering together, in the face of fascism and communism, to ask "Are we done with democracy?" At that time, alternatives to democracy were live options. Today, we're asking these questions again. What do we...
What do we do when democracy delivers outcomes we don't like? How do we live in a country with so many who deeply disagree with our worldview? These are questions citizens of modern democracies need to ask themselves.

To help us think through them, we're joined this week by Shadi Hamid, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller Seminary, and contributing writer for the Atlantic Monthly. His new book The Problem of Democracy asks what we should do when democracy produces bad outcomes. Is democracy good because of its results, or for its own sake?

Special thanks to Ethan Beacom for composing our theme music and editing this episode.]]>2916democracy,lyceum,philosophy,politicsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-10-with-sean-sherman-the-sioux-chef--53395495
In this episode, we discuss Sean's food philosophy and what he's discovered working with these ingredients, and why it matters for our food to be close to the land, the woods, and the waters where we live.

https://natifs.org/

https://sioux-chef.com/about/

Special thanks to Ethan Beacom for composing our theme music and editing this episode.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53395495Thu, 30 Mar 2023 20:58:18 +0000The Lyceum MovementIn this episode, we talk with Chef Sean Sherman, winner of the James Beard Award for best cookbook and best new restaurant. Chef Sean has been at the forefront of a movement to creatively rediscover the traditional ingredients and food traditions...
In this episode, we discuss Sean's food philosophy and what he's discovered working with these ingredients, and why it matters for our food to be close to the land, the woods, and the waters where we live.

https://natifs.org/

https://sioux-chef.com/about/

Special thanks to Ethan Beacom for composing our theme music and editing this episode.]]>1835falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-9-with-author-writer-and-magazine-editor-anne-snyder--52745352


For more, visit www.lyceummovement.org]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52745352Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:02:03 +0000The Lyceum MovementMartin Luther King Jr. was an unfaithful husband and a plagiarist, Abraham Lincoln shared many of the prejudices of his time, and many of the women who lead the charge for suffrage in America were vocally racist. There is almost no figure so revered...


For more, visit www.lyceummovement.org]]>2721america,biography,books,conversation,culture,heroes,heroism,history,lyceum,philanthropy,philosophy,society,storiesfalse1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-8-how-modern-media-is-shaping-us-with-media-scholar-zac-gershberg--52542771
Our guest today, Zac Gershberg, lays out this dilemma in his recent book with journalist Sean Illing, The Paradox of Democracy: Free Speech, Open Media, and Perilous Persuasion. Zac is a professor of Journalism and Media studies at Idaho State University, and I’m excited to have him here to help us think through this very timely topic.

learn more at www.lyceummovement.org

The Paradox of Democracy

Neil Postman: Amusing Ourselves to Death

Elizabeth Eisenstein: Divine Art, Infernal Machine: The Reception of Printing in the West

Marshall McLuhan: The Global Village]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52542771Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:24:01 +0000The Lyceum MovementDemocracy is not just a system of government, it is also a culture of free communication, one that comes with inherent risk. In an open, democratic society, communication can be a way of building relationships and sharing knowledge, but it can equally...
Our guest today, Zac Gershberg, lays out this dilemma in his recent book with journalist Sean Illing, The Paradox of Democracy: Free Speech, Open Media, and Perilous Persuasion. Zac is a professor of Journalism and Media studies at Idaho State University, and I’m excited to have him here to help us think through this very timely topic.

learn more at www.lyceummovement.org

The Paradox of Democracy

Neil Postman: Amusing Ourselves to Death

Elizabeth Eisenstein: Divine Art, Infernal Machine: The Reception of Printing in the West

Marshall McLuhan: The Global Village]]>2576false1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-7-michael-lamb-on-the-work-of-hope-in-a-time-of-despair--52374407
What is the role for hope in a time that feels, to many Americans, not very hopeful? What is the virtue of hope, and how might it help us to live better, and live better together?

To help us think through these questions, I am pleased to welcome Michael Lamb, a friend of the Lyceum, to the show today. Michael is the F. M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character, Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character, and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities at Wake Forest University.

He holds a Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University, a B.A. in political science from Rhodes College, and a second B.A. in philosophy and theology from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

He is the author of many articles on politics and philosophy and, most recently, a book, A Commonwealth of Hope: Augustine’s Political Thought.

A political theorist with experience in practical politics, Michael has served as chief of staff for campaigns for state senate, Governor, and U.S. Congress in his home state of Tennessee. At the University of Oxford, he helped to launch the Oxford Character Project, which helps graduate students in various fields – including government, law, medicine, business, and academia – think about the role of ethics in their professions.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52374407Fri, 06 Jan 2023 22:56:59 +0000The Lyceum MovementIn the last year, Gallup has conducted a slew of polls to take the temperature on American hope, and the results are clear–Americans are more likely to say they are “extremely worried” about the future than that they are hopeful for the future. This...
What is the role for hope in a time that feels, to many Americans, not very hopeful? What is the virtue of hope, and how might it help us to live better, and live better together?

To help us think through these questions, I am pleased to welcome Michael Lamb, a friend of the Lyceum, to the show today. Michael is the F. M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character, Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character, and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities at Wake Forest University.

He holds a Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University, a B.A. in political science from Rhodes College, and a second B.A. in philosophy and theology from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

He is the author of many articles on politics and philosophy and, most recently, a book, A Commonwealth of Hope: Augustine’s Political Thought.

A political theorist with experience in practical politics, Michael has served as chief of staff for campaigns for state senate, Governor, and U.S. Congress in his home state of Tennessee. At the University of Oxford, he helped to launch the Oxford Character Project, which helps graduate students in various fields – including government, law, medicine, business, and academia – think about the role of ethics in their professions.]]>2602false1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/6-rabbi-scholar-podcaster-zohar-atkins-on-religion-in-the-public-sphere--52070584https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52070584Thu, 01 Dec 2022 20:15:41 +0000The Lyceum MovementToday we're joined by Zohar Atkins, a rabbi, scholar, theologian, poet, podcast host, and more. Zohar shares his insights, drawing on his own tradition, but in a way accessible to people outside of that tradition, on the changing place of faith in the...2647false1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-philosopher-andy-gustafson-on-finding-meaning-and-dignity-in-work--51788262
I’ve invited Andy on today because, as you can tell from his titles, he’s got a really well-rounded view of work. He’s thought hard about work and what makes it dignified and meaningful as a philosopher, as a teacher, and as a businessperson and boss. Andy spoke at the Des Moines Lyceum last winter and was a hit, and I’m excited to have him help us think through this question of what makes work satisfying, what makes it meaningful, and what is it missing when it is dull, soulless, and a chore.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51788262Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:57:53 +0000The Lyceum MovementDr Andrew Gustafson is a philosopher, a professor of business ethics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, a business owner, and a home renovator. I’ve invited Andy on today because, as you can tell from his titles, he’s got a...
I’ve invited Andy on today because, as you can tell from his titles, he’s got a really well-rounded view of work. He’s thought hard about work and what makes it dignified and meaningful as a philosopher, as a teacher, and as a businessperson and boss. Andy spoke at the Des Moines Lyceum last winter and was a hit, and I’m excited to have him help us think through this question of what makes work satisfying, what makes it meaningful, and what is it missing when it is dull, soulless, and a chore.]]>2297business,economics,life,lyceum,meaning,philosophy,workfalse15fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-with-nick-sparks-what-makes-a-meaningful-life--51459768https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51459768Mon, 03 Oct 2022 23:24:59 +0000The Lyceum Movement1731lyceum,meaning,philosophy,spirituality,wisdomfalse1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-michael-sacasas-on-how-our-digital-technology-is-changing-us--50758663
In this interview, we talk with Michael about the importance of agency, mastery, and awareness of the material world in a time when digital technology plays an increasingly dominant role in our life.

You can learn more about Michael by listening to his New York Times interview with Ezra Klein: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/podcasts/transcript-ezra-klein-interviews-lm-sacasas.html

By reading his essay The Materiality of Digital Culture: https://comment.org/the-materiality-of-digital-culture/

And by following his newsletter, The Convivial Society: https://theconvivialsociety.substack.com/]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50758663Sat, 30 Jul 2022 15:50:54 +0000The Lyceum MovementMichael Sacasas, who writes under the pen name LM Sacasas, is a widely respected commentator on digital technology and the way it is shaping our habits, our perceptions of the world, and the nature of our communities. In this interview, we talk...
In this interview, we talk with Michael about the importance of agency, mastery, and awareness of the material world in a time when digital technology plays an increasingly dominant role in our life.

You can learn more about Michael by listening to his New York Times interview with Ezra Klein: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/podcasts/transcript-ezra-klein-interviews-lm-sacasas.html

By reading his essay The Materiality of Digital Culture: https://comment.org/the-materiality-of-digital-culture/

And by following his newsletter, The Convivial Society: https://theconvivialsociety.substack.com/]]>2086digital,lyceum,media,philosophy,smartphones,tech,technologyfalse1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-2-yuval-levin-on-seeing-our-neighbors-as-fully-human--50425744
Yuval shares ideas about how we can let politics dominate less of our lives and how local government might often be a better path for serving the common good.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50425744Thu, 30 Jun 2022 20:40:45 +0000The Lyceum MovementIn this episode, we talk with Yuval Levin, founder and editor of National Affairs, a quarterly magazine of political thought, and director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of at...
Yuval shares ideas about how we can let politics dominate less of our lives and how local government might often be a better path for serving the common good.]]>1778democracy,government,lyceum,philosophyfalse1fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gracy-olmstead-and-finding-roots-in-a-rootless-age--50041397https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50041397Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:16:35 +0000The Lyceum MovementIn this episode, we talk with Gracy Olmstead, journalist and author of the book "Uprooted" on what it means to put down roots, take responsibility for a place, and find a sense of home in an age when we are so mobile, and so much of our life is lived...2064culture,history,lyceum,philosophyfalse1full